Voters guide to candidates, ballot and more

Mark your calendars: Another election is upon us.

On Nov. 4, Philadelphia voters will weigh in on a so far sleepy race for district attorney, a contest for city controller, and judicial races in the state’s Superior and Commonwealth Courts, as well as Philadelphia’s Common Pleas Court and Municipal Courts.

Most closely watched among judicial races will be the retention elections for three state Supreme Court justices — typically low-profile “yes” or “no” votes on whether the judges should each serve another 10 years. This year’s races have drawn millions in campaign spending as Republicans aim to unseat justices who were elected as Democrats and tip the court’s balance in one of the nation’s most crucial swing states.

» READ MORE: Why Pa. voters are asked to choose ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for some judges on Election Day

Races for your local judge of election and inspector of election will also be on the ballot, though details on these positions are not included in this guide. To find out more, you can view your sample ballot on the Philadelphia city commissioners’ website here.

Here’s what you need to know ahead of this year’s general election, from important dates to who’s on your ballot:

📅 Pennsylvania’s general election is Tuesday, Nov. 4. The deadline to register to vote is Monday, Oct. 20.

Does my party affiliation matter?

🧑 No. In a general election, party affiliation doesn’t matter — any registered voter can vote for any candidate on the ballot.

🕖 Polling places are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4. If you’re in line before 8 p.m., stay there — you’ll still be allowed to vote.

Where is my polling place?

🗳️📍Find your polling place using Pennsylvania’s Find Your Polling Place tool. Philadelphians can also search locations via the city’s Atlas tool.

What do I need to bring to the polls?

Most voters do not need to bring anything to vote.

However, ID is required for first-time voters and those voting for the first time at a polling place in a new voting district.

Accepted photo ID includes:

Pennsylvania driver’s license

U.S. passport

Government-issued ID

Student ID

Armed Forces ID

Employee ID

Accepted non-photo ID includes:

Current utility bill

Paycheck

Bank statement

Government-issued check

Firearm permit

Voter registration card

Any non-photo ID issued by the state or federal government

When and how do I request a mail ballot?

✉️ The county election office must receive mail ballot applications by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 28. Voters can request an application by mail, online, or in-person. The application is available in English, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese.

When and how do I return my mail ballot?

✉️ 📅 Completed ballots must be received by 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 4. Postmarks don’t count. Ballots can’t be returned to polling places on Election Day.

There are two return options:

By mail: Send to County Board of Elections, City Hall, Room 142, Philadelphia, PA 19107. (Mail early — ballots must arrive by Election Day.)

In person: Drop off at the county election office, a satellite office, or at an official drop box. Find locations at vote.phila.gov/ballot-drop-off.

How do I check the status of my ballot?

❓Voters can check the status of their ballot with the “Election Ballot Status” tool at pavoterservices.pa.gov.

Can I vote before Election Day?

Pennsylvania doesn’t offer traditional early voting, but you can vote early through in-person mail voting — apply for, complete, and return a mail ballot all in one visit before Election Day.

In Philadelphia, in-person mail voting can be done at City Hall, Room 142, or one of the 10 satellite election offices before 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28.

Where can I get help with voting?

In Philadelphia, elections and the county election offices are run by the city commissioners. Get help in person at City Hall, Room 142, or at one of the 10 satellite election offices.

Voters can also call these local and national resources.

Philadelphia voters can contact the Philadelphia city commissioners’ office at vote.phila.gov or call 215-686-VOTE (8683).

📞 National Election Protection Hotline: Call or text 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) for help with voting questions, including how and where to vote.

Accessibility: All Pennsylvania polling places offer at least one accessible voting system for voters with disabilities.

Spanish materials: Berks, Lehigh, and Philadelphia Counties

Traditional Chinese materials: Philadelphia County

Bilingual interpreters are available through the city commissioners’ office.

When will we know the results of the election?

⏳ Final results of the Nov. 4 election will not be available on election night, though media outlets like the Associated Press may declare a winner in certain races if enough ballots are counted.

Pennsylvania law doesn’t allow mail ballot processing until 7 a.m. on Election Day. Election workers will count the majority of mail and in-person ballots on election night.

Additional votes will be counted, including military and overseas ballots that have seven days to return, provisional ballots that require additional review, and ballots awaiting voter ID verification (voters have six days to provide proof of ID).

Results are not official until county officials meet to complete the canvassing of the votes by the Tuesday after the election and certify official returns by 20 days after the election. After that, Secretary of State Al Schmidt will certify the election results.

Who’s on the ballot in Philadelphia?

The Philadelphia district attorney is the city’s top prosecutor, spearheading the fourth-largest criminal justice system in the United States. The district attorney oversees an office of more than 600 lawyers, detectives, and support staff.

Krasner is running for his third term as district attorney. In his eight years in office, he served during the single greatest spike in violence in Philadelphia’s history, and also during its steepest decline.

He is one of the few remaining progressive prosecutors in the United States, and some of his practices have drawn scrutiny, particularly around his handling of retail theft and illegal gun possession cases. Prior to being elected in 2017, Krasner was a criminal defense and civil rights attorney.

Krasner created the office’s first restorative justice program, allowing individuals charged with non-gun-related crimes to resolve their cases outside the court system. He also created a police misconduct database.

He has made opposing President Donald Trump central to his political identity and has positioned himself as the city’s chief antagonist of the White House, frequently accusing Trump of executive overreach.

Dugan ran as a centrist Democrat during the spring primary election and lost handily to Krasner. He is now the Republican nominee following a successful write-in campaign by the city’s GOP. Dugan’s campaign said in the spring he would not accept the Republican nomination, but he has since said he changed his mind after “a lot of conversations and a lot of urging from regular people.”

He was endorsed by a bevy of labor unions during the Democratic primary. However, the politically potent Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council is no longer backing him now that he is running as a Republican.

Dugan served as a Philadelphia Municipal Court judge for 17 years. He is an Army veteran and a former lawyer for Philadelphia City Council who has never been a prosecutor.

He spent much of his judicial career overseeing diversion courts that keep low-level offenders out of jail. He founded the city’s Veterans Court, which set a national standard.

Dugan has sought to build his brand as the “tough-on-crime” candidate, and, if elected, is likely to be a more traditional prosecutor than Krasner. His campaign website says violent offenders will face maximum penalties while low-level and first-time offenders will “have a second chance.”

The Philadelphia city controller operates independently of the mayor and City Council and acts as a fiscal watchdog, conducting audits and investigations into the city’s and the Philadelphia School District’s programs and financial affairs to ensure proper and effective use of city resources. The office is not subject to term limits.

Brady is running for reelection as city controller. She was first elected in November 2023 after being appointed acting city controller by then-Mayor Jim Kenney in November 2022.

According to her campaign website, Brady wants to prioritize addressing the “underground economy” in the construction and development sector, gun violence, and the drug and opioid crises. She also wants to audit the Philadelphia Office of Property Assessment and the contracting process.

A recent example of Brady’s work as city controller: An audit found that inspectors in the Philadelphia Department of Licenses and Inspections were not performing necessary safety practices.

Patrinos is running to unseat Brady as city controller. He grew up in Northwest Philadelphia and graduated from Central High School before earning a bachelor’s degree in social science from Harvard and a master’s degree in political science from the University of Chicago.

He has completed financial and actuarial exams and began his career working in the financial sector as a stockbroker. Then he returned to Philadelphia to teach math and history at local charter and district schools. He has also written for the Federalist, a conservative online magazine, and the Chestnut Hill Local.

He is running “to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly and that every child in Philadelphia has the chance to succeed,” according to the Philadelphia GOP website.

Pa. Supreme Court Judicial Retention

Three justices on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, the state’s highest court, are asking to be retained for another 10-year term. The seven-member state Supreme Court decides cases that can control the direction of the state, from whose ballot should be counted to whether Pennsylvania’s constitution guarantees the right to an abortion.

The three justices up for retention were all elected as Democrats in 2015, but will appear without a political affiliation on the ballot. Retention votes can be compared to a progress report, where voters are asked whether they believe a justice should be retained for another term.

Voters who wish to retain a judge will mark “yes” below their name. Voters who do not want a justice to serve another term will mark “no.”

Donohue, 72, of Pittsburgh, is recommended for retention by the Pennsylvania Bar Association. She received her law degree from the Duquesne School of Law.

She previously served for eight years on the Pennsylvania Superior Court, which is known as one of the busiest appeals courts in the country for its handling of most criminal appeals.

If approved for another 10-year term, Donohue will only be able to serve for two years. She will be required to retire when she turns 75 in December 2027.

Donohue authored the state Supreme Court ruling that signaled the court’s interest in finding there is a constitutional right to an abortion in Pennsylvania, if the issue comes before the court again.

Dougherty, 63, of Philadelphia, is recommended for retention by the Pennsylvania Bar Association. He received his law degree from the Antioch School of Law.

He has spent much of his time on the bench spearheading an initiative to better serve people with autism spectrum disorder when interacting with the justice system, including the introduction of sensory-friendly courtrooms.

He is the father of State Rep. Sean Dougherty, who represents parts of Northeast Philadelphia. He is the brother of the powerful former Philadelphia labor leader John Dougherty — widely known as “Johnny Doc” — who last year was sentenced to federal prison on bribery and embezzlement convictions.

Prior to joining the Supreme Court bench in 2016, Kevin Dougherty led the Philadelphia Family Court as its administrative judge.

Wecht, 63, of Pittsburgh, is recommended for retention by the Pennsylvania Bar Association. He received his law degree from Yale Law School.

Prior to joining the bench, he served on the state appellate Superior Court. Before that, he was a judge on the Court of Common Pleas in Allegheny County.

He has highlighted his involvement in the court’s decisions overturning the state’s former congressional maps as unconstitutionally gerrymandered, protecting the state’s forests and parks from oil and gas exploration, among others.

Judge of the Superior Court

The Superior Court and Commonwealth Court are Pennsylvania’s intermediate appellate courts.

The Superior Court is made up of 15 judges who oversee appeals in criminal and most civil cases coming from lower courts before they can be taken to the state Supreme Court. The opening on the court comes after Democrat Dan McCaffery’s election to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2023.

“Yes” or “no” retention vote:

Judge of the Commonwealth Court

Pennsylvania voters will also have the opportunity to elect a judge to the Commonwealth Court bench.

Commonwealth Court is made up of nine judges who are responsible for cases involving state and local governments as well as regulatory agencies. The opening on the court comes after Ellen Ceisler, elected as a Democrat, retired earlier this year.

“Yes” or “no” retention vote:

Judge of the Court of Common Pleas

Common Pleas Court, broken up by 60 judicial districts throughout Pennsylvania, serves as a general trial court handling civil and criminal cases as well as appeals from lower courts.

You may also notice a couple of names on November’s ballot that weren’t there during the primary election in May. Those are “magic seats” or “golden tickets”— candidates picked by the Philadelphia Democratic Party when incumbent judges up for a retention vote withdraw from the general election ballot. You can read about that process here.

Philadelphia voters can choose up to 11 candidates.

There are no Republican judicial candidates running for the Court of Common Pleas in the general election

“Yes” or “no” retention vote:

Judge of the Municipal Court

Philadelphia Municipal Court, made up of 27 judges, is the city’s entry-level court handling minor civil, criminal, and traffic cases. Also in this race is a “magic seat” or “golden ticket”— candidates picked by the Philadelphia Democratic Party when incumbent judges up for a retention vote withdraw from the general election ballot.

Philadelphia voters will cast ballots for no more than four candidates.

There are no Republican judicial candidates running for Municipal Court in the general election

“Yes” or “no” retention vote: